Governance

DEMOCRACY AND VOTING

The election system in St. John’s isn’t working right now:

As I wrote for The Telegram, several rules make it difficult for students and young people to vote. I will fight to correct that.

Provincial laws don’t allow permanent residents, international students, or other non-Canadian citizens to vote. City councils across the country, including Halifax and Toronto, have called for change. I will fight to allow every adult who lives in St. John’s to vote.

The mail-in ballot system currently provides a large advantage to incumbents. Most ballots are mailed out and filled in weeks before the election, before many voters start paying attention to the election campaign. Democracy works best when people vote after a discussion of the issues. I will fight to reevaluate the mail-in ballot.